Scorched
by 78meg9
Summary: When the newly crowned King Lovino accidentally uses his power over fire to curse his home in infinite wasteland, his brother, Feliciano, teams up with a German man and his arrogant brother to save everything he knows. (Frozen AU)
1. Fire Burning

**I promised and I deliver! Frozen, with a Hetalia twist. Who's pumped?**

 **Here are the characters so far: Italy- Anna, Romano- Elsa, Germany- Kristoff, ?- Hans, Prussia- Sven. I would love to hear your suggestions for Olaf and your guesses for who Hans is.**

 **Pairings: Germany/Italy, Spain/Romano, and more as the story progresses**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Once upon a time, there lived two princes.

The youngest was a sweet and happy child who loved his family very much. He longed to see the world and perhaps find the perfect pot of pasta. His name was Feliciano Vargas.

The older was Lovino Vargas, and he was cursed.

He could hold a flame in the palm of his hand, conjured from pure will. His mother would always joke the eternal fire was born from his fiery temper. His father would always warn him to be careful with his powers.

The kingdom of the two princes was known as _Regno del fuoco_. The climate quite suited the fair skinned brothers, as it was hot almost year round. One season of the year, however, did not agree with their tastes, and left Feliciano huddled under the covers, wishing for the end of winter.

Sometimes it would simply become too cold and the little prince could not sleep. Unable to escape the chill, he would cry. Roused out of his slumber, Lovino tried to muffle the noise. But after waiting for the tears to subside (they _never_ did), he would sigh and stumble out of his own warm bed and into his brother's. The little prince would cling to his brother, glad to have the extra heat.

Now one winter, when the princes were four and seven respectively, the youngest decided he needed to play outside.

"Lovi, Lovi… wake up!" Feliciano appeared off the side of his brother's bed, his large brown eyes staring intently at his brother's sleeping form; yet, he didn't stir.

Feliciano switched tactics. He hefted his tiny legs up onto the sheets and began to shake his brother back and forth. "Lovi, Loviii..."

Lovino's eyes fluttered open. "Go back to sleep, Felici…" He cut himself off with a yawn

The little prince refused to take no for an answer. He flopped on Lovino's back, pressing a hand to his head for dramatic effect. "The sky's awake, so I'm awake, so we have to play!"

"Go play by yourself" And with that, Lovino pushed Feliciano off him and onto the floor.

Never one to be deterred, Feliciano popped back up like an unwanted weasel. "We can go to the garden..." He coaxed.

Lovino cracked open an eye and Feliciano knew he had won.

Outside the wind howled and snow began to fall in tufts. But if Feliciano stuck by Lovino's side, he was never cold. Together they trekked through the winter in their snow boots and too light jackets, intent on getting to the small garden that the royal family had planted in the spring.

The little haven was Lovino's favorite place in the world, though he would never admit it. It was Feliciano's too, and he eagerly took every chance to watch the flowers grow and enjoy the sunlight. But as they arrived in the dead of the night on the coldest day of the year, their little garden was buried in the snow.

Feliciano tugged insistently on his brother's hand. "Do the magic! Do the magic!"

Snow blew in Lovino's eyes and his hands started to numb over, but he refused to give in. With a huff, he stamped his foot on the frozen ground and forced the cold melt away. Instantly the garden sprung with green. The snow stopped falling and instead became light rain. He released so much energy that even the creek melted and the flowers came to life.

As a final touch, Lovino conjured up a ball of fire that sat high over their heads and illuminated the whole garden. It slowly got brighter and brighter, warming their faces.

"Wow" Feliciano gasped, enchanted as his dream came to life. In their little bubble, there was no more winter. It was like standing in the opposite of a snowglobe.

"Watch this!" Lovino said excitedly, looking for a familiar vine. When he found one buried under all the newborn flowers, he grasped it with two hands. "Tomatoes" He explained as the red fruits suddenly grew.

Feliciano grabbed one from the vine, munching it happily. He gave Lovino a red smile and he couldn't help but grin back. Together, they played for hours, doing as many spring-time activities as time would allow. They played tag, and hide and go seek. They climbed trees, and ate as many tomatoes as they could.

Eventually, the ball of fire that gave light started to become too bright. Feliciano was forced to squint.

"Make it darker, Lovi" Feliciano asked, rubbing his eyes. "It hurts"

Lovino frowned. He could tell it was too much, but it didn't bother him. He raised a hand to try and wave away the light. It didn't work.

"Loviii" Feliciano whinnied

"I'm trying!" Lovino snapped. "Listen to me, you stupid fire. No more!"

With a sudden swell, the ball of fire became larger and more violent. Plants began to wither and die, and exposed skin began to blister burn. "Ah!" Feliciano screamed, feeling his skin heat up. "Lovino, please!"

Lovino closed his eyes, trying to contain the flames. Why wasn't it working? He was the one to conjure it- he should be able to control it! "Stop!" He screamed.

BANG- there was a loud pop, and the fire exploded, raining down on them both. Lovino raised his arms to protect himself, blinded for a split second. The flame didn't hurt him, but singed his clothes and set the small garden around him alight.

Just as quick as it started, it was over. No longer was there light in the sky, illuminating the night. Instead, the vines and flowers Lovino had brought to life burned to cinders. The tomato plant blackened and charred.

Lovino sat up, horrified of the destruction he had caused. His favorite place- reduced to nothing! What would his parents say; what would Feliciano think? Fear struck him as a nagging realization crept into his mind. "Feli?"

There was no response.

"Feli-" Lovino cut off with a gasp. "Oh my god, Feliciano!"

The little prince was huddled into himself, unconscious. "Feli, Feli, wake up!" Lovino shook his brother, but recoiled with a silent scream as he turned over. Feliciano's skin was raw and red, even blistered in some places. But that wasn't the worst part. There was a dark burn mark directly over his eyes.

Lovino couldn't take it anymore. "Mama! Mama, Papa! Help!"

He stayed like that, keeping his arms wrapped tight around his brother as if he could protect him from the wounds he inflicted. Around him the ground began to scorch and burn. After seemingly hours of screaming for help, a lantern light appeared along to path. It was one of the castle guards, the king and queen in tow.

"What happened?" His father demanded as soon as they came close enough. "What are you doing out here in the snow? Where is- _Feliciano_!"

"I didn't mean to!" Lovino sobbed, holding Feliciano closer. "We were playing and I couldn't control it-"

"He's burning up" The queen interrupted. She unraveled Lovino's arms to hold Feliciano herself. "We need a doctor, or a healer!"

King Romulus shook his head. "This was magic inflicted. We need a special cure"

It was mere moments later that they were racing toward the mountains on horseback. Lovino clung to his father, shaking and praying. It wasn't long before they had arrived in a great clearing, surrounded by rocks.

King Romulus jumped off his high horse and gathered his small family close. "Troll king, show yourself!"

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then all at once, each rock began to move and shake. One by one, the trolls emerged. Whispering broke out in the crowd. "It's the king… and his children… what happened to the youngest? Get Germania…"

The crowd parted as an older troll, aged from years of wisdom, made his way through the crowd. He set his weary gaze on the king. "Romulus. To what do I owe this visit?"

"Feliciano's been hurt. The children were playing in the garden, but Lovino-"

"I didn't mean to!" A trembling Lovino shouted, drawing all eyes on him. "There was fire, and I tried to stop it, but I _couldn't_ -"

Germania took the boys hands. "Born with the powers or cursed?"

"Born" Romulus and the queen answered together. Lovino looked at his parents, then to Feliciano in his mother's arms.

Germania followed his gaze. "Let me see the child."

Feliciano was lowered to the ground, and the wise troll immediately ushered everyone away. He inspected the burn over his eyes. He knew that it would leave a scar, but that was the least of their worries. " _Lassen Sie den Zauber verschwunden sein."_ Germania chanted. " _Ich euch!_ "

The blisters on Feliciano's body faded away, and his skin returned to its pale complexion. No long was the burn angry and red. A small smile found its way to his lips.

"The boy will be alright." Germania announced much to the relief of the royal family. "But I fear I had to remove all traces of magic."

"Magic?" Lovino asked. "He won't remember I have powers?"

Germania gave a stern nod. "It was for the best. Your powers… they are born from great bouts of energy and emotion. Left uncontrolled, they can become your worst enemy"

"But I-"

Lovino was drawn back by King Romulus, a frown on his lips. "I will make sure Lovino knows his place. Nothing like this will happen again."

Germania nodded. "See to it"

As the family turned to go, they passed a curious pair of boys watching from the sidelines.

The smallest, a young boy with blond hair, found himself enchanted looking at the youngest prince. His brother was frowning curiously at the troll king.

Germania had almost transformed when he sensed their presence. Children. Always so curious. "Young boys, come show yourselves."

Reluctantly, the youngest slowly climbed down from his hiding spot. His brother followed.

"Eavesdropping is not the way proper children should behave" Germania scolded. "Return to your families at once"

The oldest boy scowled at the troll. "We ain't got no family, rockman." He brushed the silver hair back from his eyes and puffed out his chest. "I watch out for little Ludwig here."

Germania raised an eyebrow. "I see"

"Please, Mr." Ludwig spoke up from behind his brother. "I'm hungry"

Gilbert's insistent hushing did nothing to deter Germania. "No family, no food. That settles it. I'm going to keep you"

[=]

Far away in the castle, Lovino watched the snow fall. Behind him the door to his outside world was closed, his father shaking his head. "This is for the best"

He shuddered, feeling the cold seep into his bones for the first time as tears began to fall freely.


	2. Stuck in a Castle

**I'll be honest, I was a little disappointed that I never used "do you want to build a snowman" but it wouldn't make much sense**

 **As a recap: Lovino's got fire powers and I own nothing.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

And so the years passed, and Feliciano and Lovino grew older. But things had changed. For one, Lovino packed his things and moved to a new room. No amount of begging, pleading or crying could bring him back.

Feliciano paced outside the closed bedroom door and tried to think of something to lure his brother out of his room.

"Do you wanna go to the garden…?" He asked, eagerly awaiting a response.

But the door never opened.

The next day was the same, and the one after that, and the one after that. Lovino still refused to speak with him, but he never gave up

Standing outside Lovino's door and playing badminton had become his newest thing. The small birdie had only broken four out of eight glass vases in the hall. As he the swung the racket back and forth, Feliciano tried all the offers he could think of.

"Do you wanna play in the garden?" Nothing. "Wanna make a pizza?" Zip. "Lovino, the house is ON FIRE."

The only response he had ever gotten was a bitter yell to "Leave me _alone_ "

Downtrodden, Feliciano went to sulk in his room. Lovino would break sometime.

[=]

As for Lovino, his life became a living hell. His room was stuffy and offered the perfect view of nothing. And the gloves. The goddamn gloves! Leather and itchy, Lovino hated them with every fiber of his being.

King Romulus had presented him with them the night of the accident. "Conceal, don't feel" He had instructed.

Lovino angrily tossed them across the room one night in a fit of rage. They fell to the floor as Lovino screamed his frustration. To his dismay, the dresser immediately caught fire. Four maids came rushing in to fix his mess and save the castle before they were all aflame.

He only hated himself more when one stole a glance at him. _Devil's child_ She was thinking.

The only person not avoiding him was Feliciano. He visited almost every second of every day. Lovino could hear him fooling around outside, offering him things he so sorely wanted. If only he would let go and listen. But instead, he picked up the gloves and slid them on.

He hated everything and everyone.

[=]

Feliciano discarded his last childhood dress. It was a fun tradition the kingdom had always kept. Lovino hadn't thought so, he fondly remembered. Every year, his outfits were found in unusual places, charred beyond recognition.

But now, at a ripe old age of eight, Feliciano could now wear the newest fad: _pants_.

He had loved them the first two minutes of sliding down staircases and kickball with his father. But in the kingdom known for its sweltering summers, pants were a brutal thing. He missed the freedom of skirts.

Feliciano had explained all this to the closed door that housed Lovino. "How did you possibly bear living in these things for what, twenty four years?"

There was an angry bang from the otherside of the door. Feliciano jumped. Had- had Lovino just responded to him?

"How old are you now, Lovi?" Feliciano whispered near the key hole. He, of course, knew. Their birthdays were the same day, and if Feliciano was eight, Lovino was eleven. But there was fun in asking.

Lovino banged again, and this time Feliciano counted. One… two… ten… eleven!

Feliciano could hardly contain his excitement. This meant a new way of talking to Lovino! This was a breakthrough- a medical miracle! It was a-

"What is going on here?"

He looked up to see his father frowning at him from the end of the hall. King Romulus was not a big frowner. He was stern in the court, but even then he had a small smile to share with his young son. But there was nothing of the sort now.

"Feliciano, I told you to stay away from here. It's… unsafe"

Questions got him nowhere. Feliciano pouted, but disappeared to find his mother.

[=]

Lovino had to admit to himself, it was silly to try and dig his way out of the bedroom. For one, he was almost willingly imprisoned. And two, he was on the third floor of a stone castle.

But it gave him something to do.

The third silver spoon melted as he got he got too excited. He had thought he had seen the light of the floor below, but it was just a spark off the tip of his finger. Standing up, Lovino tried to not feel angry.

Tried, being the keyword and the melted spoon went flying at the wardrobe. He watched it go. He was so _bored_.

Then something clanged; it was the sound of metal against metal. Lovino looked up sharply. He had thrown the spoon at a wooden wardrobe. He went to investigate.

Feeling along the wood, Lovino didn't expect much. What, like there would be some sort of secret lever?

As it turns out, there was a secret handle. Excitement tingled in him as he pulled. A previously hidden compartment of the wardrobe came loose and Lovino looked inside to see piles and piles of books.

He eagerly pulled one out. Never before was he an avid reader, but there was something so boring about being cooped up on a room. He would let the small oversight on his personality slide. Sinking to the floor with his newest treasure, Lovino finally found his escape.

[=]

It was strange for a castle to have so few mirrors. Feliciano had scoured the place from top to bottom, looking for one. There was only a small, cracked one in the servant's quarters, and one large one in his parent's bathroom. There wasn't even one in Feliciano's room.

It took a while for Feliciano to understand why.

He prodded at the long scar that ran across his face. It didn't hurt to touch anymore. His mother said he had gotten it when he got too close to the fireplace when he was little. It seemed he was a very stupid child, to have done something so silly.

Sometimes, on Halloween, he would scare himself by making up new ways he got his scar.

"I was attacked by pirates!" he chirped to a passing maid. She shook her head.

"There are no pirates that sail these waters"

He climbed onto his mother's lap. "I battled a giant and he burned me as retribution!"

"Don't tell stories" She had chided.

"I was so lonely that I let the fire eat me" He had said, very solemnly, to Lovino's door. He received a bitter laugh.

[=]

The years went by. It became a stranger and stranger occurrence Feliciano would slide to a stop outside his brother's door. As they got older, Lovino's vocabulary got harsher and there was only so many times one could hear "fuck you" without getting disheartened.

Then came the day Feliciano's parents sat him down. "Feli, dear" His mother explained. "Your father and I are going to your cousin's wedding, off the coast of France"

Feliciano had perked up at that. A chance to leave the castle! Ever since Lovino had shut him away, there had been no leaving whatsoever. But if Lovino couldn't lock himself in his room… there was no way he could avoid Feliciano for the whole trip. He smiled.

"I can't wait! What clothes should I pack? Which cousin? Like, Marcello with the funny box curl, or the one that smells like cheese?"

His mother smiled. "Cheese. Francis is getting married to Jeanne, the pretty one who gave you that doll you love so much"

Feliciano could hardly contain his excitement. "Oh my gosh. Okay I've got to tell Lovi-"

"Feliciano," His father said, with a gentle touch to the arm. "I'm afraid it's only your mother and I."

A blank stare came over Feliciano's face. "And me and Lovino"

" _Just_ your mother and I"

No matter how much Feliciano begged and pleaded, his parents refused to relent. They shook him off in the kitchens, instructing the cook to distract him with the night's dinner.

The next stop was Lovino, who proved to be a much harder case.

"You can't leave!" He had thundered when they came to sit with him for the first time in months. "Please, I can't even take off these damn things without something happening!"

King Romulus frowned. "You're only saying that."

If an angrier scowl existed, it belonged to something terrible and beastly, and certainly not the crown prince. "Are you calling me a _liar_?"

His mother reached out a hand, but Lovino yanked back. "Stop!" She flinched and tears filled his eyes. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Very well" Romulus sighed, drawing his wife back. "But we must go. We'll ask around at the wedding, they might have cures somewhere in the world, and we'll find them"

But they never got the chance to fufill that promise. The letter came weeks after they were due to return; the king and queen never made it to France. A fierce storm had blown in and no survivors were found floating in the frozen waves.

Feliciano thought he had known what it was like to cry when he was cold in his too big bed. He had thought he knew what it was like to be alone when he didn't have a brother to play with anymore. But when he stood, alone, at the funeral; he truly understood. For the first time, the air that was always sweltering warm brought a cold chill to him.

He needed his brother. It took a lot of courage before Feliciano reached out to knock on the old oak door.

"Lovino?" He asked quietly. "Do… do you want come out to the garden with me?"

Silence.

"I'm all alone. Why didn't you at least show up to the funeral?"

Still nothing.

Feliciano felt himself sink along the same door that always shut him out. One by one tears came down his face until he couldn't breathe.

Little did he know that behind the same door, an angry boy with a heart of fire mirrored him. There was ash floating in the air, but even it had frozen where it was kicked up. Lovino let out a quiet hiccup, but now, more than ever, he lacked the courage to face his brother.


	3. For the First Time in Forever

**Y'all ready for 'For the First Time in Forever'? Fyi, Feli is occasionally breaking out into song in this chapter, but it's very sublte. IE I had a hard time showing and it Romano ends up going, goddamn it Feli.**

 **Hope y'all didn't wait too long for this! (Side note: I do not ship Spain/Italy... like at all. IE why their part is so short)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Morning broke over the castle slowly. Not as if Feliciano noticed, as he was dead asleep in his bed and wouldn't wake up for anything.

"Are you sure he's not in one of those comas or something?" A desperate maid whispered. "Maybe he died in his sleep!"

The cook rolled his eyes. "He's a teenage boy now, they sleep more than bears hibernate. But I have an idea"

Slowly, a dazzling smell wafted into the prince's bedroom. Feliciano smiled, rolling onto his side. His dreams were suddenly filled with dancing noodles and baskets of tomatoes. Pasta was in the air. He followed a long string of linguini to the edge of the world, watching it fall into the sauce below. He too, fell.

But instead of falling headfirst into a pot of sauce, Feliciano opened his eyes to find himself drenched from head to toe in icy water. "Wha..?"

"I thought for sure pasta would work" The cook said sullenly, holding a plate of spaghetti.

The maid shook her head, tucking the bucket that once held ice water under her arm. "I'm so sorry dear, I was afraid you would never wake up! You must hurry, Lovino's coronation is only in a few hours"

"Lovino's… coronation? Oh my god! Lovino's coronation!" Feliciano was out of bed in seconds. "I can't believe I forgot!"

"I had no trouble believing it" The cook whispered to the maid. She shushed him and sent him back to the kitchen to prepare for the evening feast.

"I'm off to prepare your bath, your majesty" The maid said, hurrying off into the side bathroom

Feliciano rocked back and forth on his feet, beyond excited, and hardly paying attention.

For just one day, one measly day in years, the gates would be open.

He couldn't wait.

[=]

Squeaky clean, Feliciano ran out of his bedroom and into the hall. His sock clad feet slid a little on the polished wood, but since there were no breakable items anywhere close to his room, nothing paid the price for his clumsiness.

The first stop was the big bay window. When he was little, Feliciano used to have to stand on his tippy toes to see the waters that surrounded their little island home. Never was there anything except blue seas. But today, for the first time in years, _Regno del fuoco_ 's harbor was filled with boats.

Big boats, little boats… sailing boats and the occasional row boat. Everyone had come to see Lovino's coronation.

It was an odd time to welcome people to the island, as winter was never the season for traveling, but snow fall was so rare here, and the smartest people on the island had assured everyone that it would be a while before anything could freeze over. And even though it was cold to Feliciano, many welcomed the cooler air to fight off the year-long heat.

It was torture waiting for the gates to finally open. Feliciano busied himself with bothering the maids who were bringing out hundreds and hundreds of dinning wear. (Who knew they had so many salad plates?)

He soon found himself in the portrait hall, trying to couch himself down from the perpetual high he was in.

"Okay, Feli. Gotta keep it together. When those gates open, you gotta show everyone your Italian charm!" He shot figure guns at a lady in a portrait. Smooth as ice, he was. "Make 'em like you! You get to met people. Like, new people. You might even meet… _the one_ "

Feliciano broke off his internal conversation. "Oh my god, I might meet _the one_!"

What would they look like? What would they be wearing? All he could think was blond hair… tall and muscular… a stern gaze. Woah, those German posters he got for his birthday were really messing with his sexual preferences.

Feliciano shook his head. He'd worry about his sexuality later. No matter who he fell for, he knew it was the _person_ that was important.

A giggle escaped him. For the first time in forever, he had the chance to find true love.

[=]

Meanwhile, Lovino paced back and forth in his sealed bedroom. "Conceal… don't feel" He whispered to himself.

He knew the procedure for the ceremony from heart. His father had run him through it when he was alive, and even know his portrait stared disapprovingly down at him. Damn that man, Lovino had said having a giant ass portrait of his father in his room was strange but did Romulus listen? No. Did he _ever_ listen?

No.

As for the gloves, the priest was very clear that from the four seconds he had to handle to scepter and chalice that symbolically made him king, he had to have uncovered hands. Something about his willingness to be stripped naked for his country.

Lovino had begged him to change the rule, or god forbid change the phrasing, but the kingdom prided itself on never _ever_ changing its traditions.

He picked up the scepter and chalice to practice once more. The gold burned red and began to melt the second he touched it. It was his nervousness- his powers went ballistic when he was angry or sad or even nervous. Lovino dropped the trinkets in fear any longer in his hands they would melt to nothing.

Maybe if he just put the ceremony out of his mind, he would magically learn to control his powers in the next hour. He'd better.

Lovino was going to restraighten his hair or _something_ to get his mind off what he needed to do, when all of the sudden he heard someone outside the door. Oh my god- was that Feliciano? And why was he singing?

Shaking his head, Lovino vowed to never spontaneously burst into song. With a sudden burst of resolve, Lovino flung open the door and loudly declared, "Open the gates!"

It would've been a great, dramatic moment, had there been any guards stationed outside his room. All it resulted in was scaring Feliciano into tears.

Oh Jesus, seeing his brother for the first time and years and all he does is scare him half to death. A maid came running at the sound, and Lovino once again instructed. "Open the gates"

"Of course, sir!" And she was off, throwing a worried glance at the princes.

Feliciano was still sniffling, but now he seemed to notice Lovino. He moved his mouth wordlessly. Lovino didn't wait for him to catch up with what just happened, and fled back into the safety of his room. "The gates are open" He said before he close to door, trying to distract his brother.

It worked. Feliciano stopped gaping his mouth like a fish and rubbed his eyes to get rid of the tears. In seconds he had left his brother's room behind and burst out of the castle.

[=]

Feliciano had never seen so many people in one place. He had to resort to climbing on the guard rails to avoid being trampled. At first, no one recognized him. But the more people stared at the strange boy balancing effortlessly on the railing, the more they noticed the unmistakable curl that marked a Vargas.

There were also snide whispers about his scar, but Feliciano had learned to tune those out.

Feliciano didn't see too many he recognized. But there still were a few. Francis Bonnefoy, the very cousin who had gotten married all those years ago, walked alone into the castle. Feliciano wondered where his wife was. There was Roderich and his escort, a lovely girl named Elizaveta. Marcello, his cousin, was being chased around by a little girl with a side ponytail.

One of the more noticeable, new faces was a short man with huge, caterpillar eyebrows. He stood flanked by two tall men, one with glasses and the other with a pink scarf. He shot an icy look at the prince.

So many people, yet Feliciano didn't stick around to chat. He ran through the cobbled streets of the little seaside town, greedily drinking in everything he could. His jacket was just a little too light, but it was indeed fancy, so Feliciano wouldn't think of covering it up with anything warmer.

When he skipped down a flight of steps to the little wooden boardwalk that boarded the seashore, everything seemed to take him over in a rush. He was free! The gates were open! If only it wasn't so cold, Feliciano would've jumped right in and felt the water.

Happiness bubbled inside him. Feeling giddy, Feliciano broke into the notes of a song and started running down the seashore. "For the first time in forever, nothings in my wayyyy- Ouch!"

Something, or someone, had just emerged from a side ally and knocked into him.

Feliciano tried to keep his balance, but he had a hard enough time with that already without the help, and ended up falling into a beach rowboat.

"That hurt!" He yelped, removing a piece of seaweed from his head.

"I'm so sorry!" An accented voice replied, laced with worry. A tan, calloused hand reached out to his, and Feliciano found himself staring up at most handsome man he had ever met.

He had chocolate, curly hair, and startling green eyes. He must've been taller than Feliciano, but he didn't stand any taller than the horse he had been riding on. His outfit was simple, but looked expensive. He had the kind of look that said he spent most of his time outside. And there were soft line at the corner of his eyes, a little indication that said he smiled often.

Feliciano tried to make his clumsy tongue conform in his mouth. "Uhhhhhhh… ciao"

"Italian?" The man asked, pulling Feliciano up and smiling. "Que lindo! I'm from Espana, or how you say it, Spagna. Antonio Fernadez at your service" He bowed

All of the sudden, the manners that have been drilled into Feliciano since he was born came flooding back. He nodded his head. "Prince Feliciano of _Regno del fuoco_ "

Antonio's eyes widened in surprise. "A prince! Oh gosh, I hit the crowned prince with my horse. Francis would strangle me if he knew…"

"You know Francis?" Feliciano asked. "He's my cousin!"

Antonio chuckled. "Well I'm his plus one."

Feliciano smiled. "Well don't worry about the whole hitting me with a horse. I'm not _that_ prince. I mean, if you hit my brother Lovino he would've been all up in flames about it, but luckily it's just me"

Antonio opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off by chiming bells. Feliciano froze. "The coronation! I'm going to be late. It's been so much fun meeting you, Anto-" Wow his name was long and Feliciano only remembered bits and pieces. "Um, Antonio. Ciao!"

With that, Feliciano hurried off, leaving Antonio to smile softly to himself.


	4. There's a New King in Town

**Hello! Yes, I'm alive. This chapter has been in the works for a while, and sitting on the cold bathroom floor of my hotel from at 10 at night, I decided to get it done. (I apologize if it seems rushed)**

 **For all those worriers out there, would I ever make a story without Spamano? Sadly, no, because I'm clearly in tomato hell and have already sold my soul. I hope I meet your expectations. I quite enjoy my new twist (that you'll find out much later, mwhahaha)**

 **Enjoy~!**

* * *

An old, latin prayer echoed throughout the church. If Feliciano concentrated, he could just loosely translate the words. He breathed a heavy breath. The sound reminded him of his late father, deep and meaningful.

Next to him stood Lovino, holding his head high and mighty. Like a soon-to-be king should.

It was the first time since that morning Feliciano had seen his brother up close, and the effect was jarring. Was he always that short? Surely he was taller at one point in time. Feliciano could distinctly remember looking up to him, but maybe those were just his memories playing tricks.

Feliciano felt his eyes dart around the church. There had to something else he could concentrate on that didn't hurt to think about. Aha!

Antonio was in the crowd. It seemed he had found Francis, and was almost nodding off on his shoulder. A giggle escaped him as he watched the Frenchman flick him in the head. Sleeping during the ceremony was certainly frowned upon, or else Feliciano would have done it himself.

Sudden silence indicated a break in the prayer, ripping Feliciano's attention back to the priest. It jarred Lovino too, but not as much as the priest whispering for him to remove the gloves.

Lovino had feared that moment would come. He thought for _sure_ he would have found a solution by now, but even bathing his hands in the cold waters of the harbor hadn't helped. Lovino shuddered nervously. It was okay. All he had to do was slide off the gloves… grab the chalice and scepter… and not burn the place to the ground. No big deal.

The priest said something again. Most likely a nice version of " _hurry the fuck up_ "

He grabbed the gold adornments and turned to face the crowd. They were all on his feet, smiling for the newest king of _Regno de fuoco_. So many nameless faces and their stares were putting him on edge. They all expected so much of him. The expectations were sky high for a boy who had never done anything right in his entire life.

The scepter had begun to sizzle in his hand. Lovino almost fainted. Just a few more seconds, just hold on-

Someone in the crowd caught his eye. It was a green-eyed man he had never seen before, but something about his smile put him at ease. Lovino felt his whole body relax and his hands cool. No longer was he seconds away from a breakdown. The man smiled wider, and Lovino noticed little wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

Who on earth was _he?_

Lovino didn't have time to dwell on this interesting new development because the priest had ended his prayer. The new king dropped the scepter and chalice back into his hands and hastily shoved on his gloves.

It was over.

[=]

"Presenting, the King of _Regno de fuoco_!"

Lovino tried to smile at the crowds. He had perfected his charming grin for social situations, but man, was it hard to seem happy.

"And his brother, the Prince Feliciano!"

Feliciano appeared off to the side, having obviously run there from the buffet table. He too, grinned, but was clearly no more comfortable to be there than Lovino. Stiff, royal parties weren't all they were cracked up to be.

The man who had the misfortune to present the brothers tried to move Feliciano closer to Lovino. "You are supposed to stand _here,_ your Majesty"

"Oh! Wait like, here here or-" He didn't finish before he was placed roughly where he was supposed to be. "Oh."

They stood shoulder to shoulder for a moment. But the second everyone's attention was elsewhere, they edged away slightly. Lovino felt the need to break the ice, but it was coupled with the need to be as far away as he could.

The awkward social jitters got to him first however. "Hi" He finally said.

Feliciano gaped at him. Surely, Lovino thought, he didn't always seem that airheaded when they were younger. "Hi me?" Feliciano cut himself off with a high pitched laugh. "Oh course hi me! Hi yourself! Wow it's been so so long, hasn't it, Fratello? You're super short!"

Lovino shot him a glare and he shut up with a flustered expression. Nope, he had always been this airheaded. "I'm not short"

"Uh, sure you aren't!" Feliciano tried to subtly bend his knees but it just wasn't cutting it.

They stood in silence.

Now it was Feliciano's turn to break the ice. A lovely scent had drifted in the air, and he looked around. "What is that _smell_?" He asked.

"Pasta~" Lovino and Feliciano said in unison. They broke into giggles.

"Wow, don't you remember sneaking out at night to make food in the middle of the night?" Feliciano asked eagerly. "That one time we made a huge pot of pasta-"

"And the trouble we got in!" Lovino finished. "There were leftovers for _days"_

Feliciano shuffled his feet. "I wish it could be like this all the time."

"But it can't" Lovino wouldn't look him in the eyes.

"Why not?"

"It just _can't_ "

Feliciano pouted. His brother was shutting him out again and it had only been a few minutes. He didn't know what to say or do, and his chest tightened. He felt helpless.

Suddenly, the music changed. It was a popular dancing song and couples flooded the floor. Lovino's hands were shaking. Did he want to dance too?

"Excuse me, your majesties! I would be honored to dance"

Feliciano was startled out of his thoughts to find a short man with bushy eyebrows extending his hand. "Huh?"

"My name is Arthur Kirkland, the representative from Stonetowne. We are the closest partners in trade with, er, however do you say it? Regato del-"

" _Regno de Fuoco_." Lovino supplied.

"Precisely. Now about that dance?"

Lovino pulled his politest smile from somewhere deep, deep down. "Of course! Feliciano _loves_ dances. Isn't that right?"

There was a frantic yelp from Feliciano as he was put on the spot. "I don't, I mean I've never danced-"

He was cut short as Arthur grasped his hand and pulled him to the dance floor. Feliciano had just enough time to stick his tongue out at Lovino before the crowd swallowed him.

[=]

"I don't understand how you put aside time for a nap but not tea? Honestly, this place is so backwards"

Feliciano tried to smile. He ended up wincing as his foot was trod on. "Siestas are really nice though"

"Niceness doesn't get you an empire" Arthur said and twirled them around; stomping on a few more feet in the process. Thankfully, not all of them were Feliciano's. "It is important to look to the future."

"Uh huh" Maybe now would be an okay time to slip away. The dance called for a change of partners, occasionally right? The next twirl, Feliciano would fade seamlessly into the crowd.

The tempo increased and suddenly everyone was spinning. Feliciano took a step back. Unfortunately for him, a spinning room was not one that allowed for an easy getaway. He bumped into a wayward girl, stepped on the pants leg of his suit, and ended up pin wheeling backwards.

Someone caught him. "Whoa there!" Antonio exclaimed, catching Feliciano by his hand. "Have a nice trip?"

Feliciano grinned. "Very funny"

Antonio pulled him to his feet as the music changed again. Soon they were moving across the floor in a dance. It was much better with someone who actually knew what they were doing. It became easier and easier for Feliciano to smile. Antonio certainly knew how to make someone feel special. Through the dips and turns, to the end of the dance, it felt like it was only them.

Soon the time came to break apart. But Feliciano, lonely as he was, didn't want to let this opportunity for company pass him by. "Follow me" He said, pulling Antonio out of the ballroom. "We can talk on the balcony"

And talk they did.

"You did what?" Feliciano giggled.

"It wasn't really me" Antonio replied with an airy smile. "It was Gilbert, but I certainly helped. Francis' hair was blue for the rest of the _month_. He very nearly killed us"

Feliciano snorted again. "Your friends sound nice"

"I'm sure they _sound_ nice. But I wouldn't get them on your bad side. We used to call each other the bad friend trio for a reason" Leaning against a pillar, Antonio looked out into the night. "The trouble we got in…"

"I want friends like that" Feliciano said suddenly. "I don't meet many people in this place."

Antonio raised an eyebrow. "Really? What about Lovino?"

"Pssh, like Lovino talks to me. All he does is sit in his room and sulk all day."

"I know the feeling" At the inquiry look he received, Antonio went on. "My brother hardly talked to me. He really got into ships and mapping, and one day, he just sailed away. He never really cared"

Feliciano fought the grin that surfaced. He settled for jumping to his feet. Finally, someone who _understood_. "I want to show you the castle"

"Really?"

"Yeah! We can do like… a whole musical number or something!"

That made Antonio laugh. "What, like Love is a Song?"

Feliciano shook his head. "I was thinking more like… Love is an Open Door!"

[=]

Antonio sat heavily next to Feliciano on the ledge that overlooked the whole kingdom. "Wow" He panted. "You sure can sing"

"I had a lot of free time to practice" Feliciano admitted. He scooted a little closer and soon he was rewarded with an arm wrapped around his shoulders. It was certainly uncharted territory.

The silence was nice, but the view was nicer. _Regno de Fuoco_ was bathed in moonlight. Waves lapped at the shores and there was a soft breeze.

"Can I ask you something crazy?" Antonio said.

Feliciano looked up, stars in his eyes. "I love crazy"

"Will you marry me?"

Feliciano blinked, stars gone. Now that was a surprise. Was Antonio serious? He looked serious. There were two options to be had here. He could say no and go back to the castle, and watch his only chance at freedom and happiness be shut out with the rest of his future at the gates inevitably shut. Or, he could give love a chance.

"Yes" He breathed out, and Antonio's smile was enough to guarantee he had chosen right.

[=]

There were twelve representatives from neighboring kingdoms. There were forty pretty women in dresses. There were a handful of cousins Lovino had to remember the names too, and at least four children that should not have been there. There were too many people and Lovino had a hard time keeping his cool.

Keeping his cool. Heh. He'd have to use that sometime.

It seemed that the night would end of a happy note. At least it _would_ , until Feliciano found him.

"Lovi! Wait!"

Lovino stopped moving through the crowd. He turned to see his brother barreling toward him with- _the man from the ceremony?_

"Lovino! Hi!"

Feliciano skidded to a stop in front of him. "Lovino, this is Antonio. Antonio, Lovino"

The dark haired man extended his hand and Lovino found himself starry eyed. "Hola"

"C-ciao" Lovino muttered, grasping weakly at his fingers.

" We would like your blessing to-" Antonio said, the same time Feliciano started talking. They both broke off awkwardly and it reminded Lovino of each other.

Feliciano started again. "Lovi, we're getting married"

Dread seized Lovino's bones. His mouth froze in shock. No way, no _way_

"Where would be live?" He heard Antonio muse from somewhere far away.

"How about we lived here?" That was Feliciano's voice. Lovino was having a hard time distinguishing things from the haze that had taken him over. " _No_ " His mind whispered. " _No, not here. Not with you_ "

Finally his mind caught up with his mouth. "No one is staying here; no one is getting married" Lovino said as sternly as he could. The breakdown from earlier was surfacing and near making him sick.

Feliciano looked heartbroken. "Why not?"

"You can't marry a man you just met" Lovino could not believe he had to say it out loud. How naïve could his brother be?

"You can if it's true love" Feliciano argued back. He let go of Antonio's hand to approach Lovino.

Lovino rolled his eyes. "What do you know about true love?"

"More than you!" Feliciano snapped. "All you know is how to shut people out!"

That was crossing the line. Lovino tensed and Antonio had half the mind to draw Feliciano back. "That's it" Lovino growled. "The party's over. Close the gates"

The affirmative 'yes sirs' were cut short by Feliciano's cries. "No, please, Lovino they were just opened!" He reached out for his brother, but all he managed to grab was Lovino's glove.

Lovino rounded on him, a fire in his eyes. "Give that _back_!"

"No! I can't live like this-"

"Then leave"

It was almost commercial how wide Feliciano's eyes went before they narrowed in uncharacteristic anger. Lovino was backing away but he didn't get far before Feliciano stopped him cold. "Why do you shut me out? Why do you shut the world out? _What are you so afraid of?!"_

"ENOUGH!"

Lovino didn't mean to. One second he was standing in the ballroom surrounded by confused and concerned people, and the next he was in a flashback to all those years ago, with Feliciano and the garden.

A wall of flames burst forth from him, and if Antonio hadn't been quick on his feet, Feliciano would have been nothing but cinders.

Lovino trembled as he the scene manifested itself. Everyone stared at him in absolute horror. It was every nightmare he had ever had multiplied because he couldn't just wake up. Without a second thought, he ran.


	5. Let it Burn

**THIS TOOK SO LONG TO COMPLETE AND I'M SO SORRY! Damn, writing musical numbers is harder than it looks. But the good news is it's done now!**

 **I pictured Lovino's new outfit to look like the Fire Nations in Avatar the Last Airbender. Recommened listening: Let it burn (the first frozen let 'em burn parody on youtube to be exact)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Lovino shoved his way through the crowds. "Excuse me, please-"

"It's the king!" Someone gasped, stepping aside. Others followed suit. Soon the new king found himself alone in a circle of joyous citizens. Lovino looked left and right desperately; there had to be some way out, there _had to be_. He stepped back, clutching his uncovered hand.

The citizens shouted to him, but not in fear. They didn't know about his powers. But they would. Without even trying, Lovino could hurt them all.

Lovino took a hazardous step toward the middle of the square, where a wooden cart sat. His fingers brushed the wood and the reaction was immediate.

Fire surged from his fingertips and the cart was soon alit, casting shadows of light and dark on the terrified faces of his people. The flames reached out to burn him too, but fire could not burn a dragon. Only Lovino's clothes were singed.

The closest citizens reared back when he turned to face them again. Lovino only looked at them in terror. He had to get away, he had to-

"STOP HIM!"

The castle doors flew open to reveal men in dark red suits, intent of hunting him down and, and… Lovino didn't want to think of the consequences of his actions. "Please, stand back! I don't want to hurt you!"

"The king is a witch!" The smallest of his pursuers yelled, "Stand back! He'll hurt you too!"

"No, no, I won't hurt you!"

Lovino's words had poor timing. His powers were hard to control in his state of distress, and he watched in pure panic as an explosion of flames left his uncovered palms. A fire bolt incinerated the castle doors.

There was no words to defend him anymore. Lovino clutched his hands to his chest and fled.

"Lovino! Fratello, wait!"

Feliciano ran from the castle, followed by Antonio. He might have been fast, but Lovino was faster.

Feliciano tried to reason too Lovino's retreating back. "-talk! We need to talk! Slow down, Lovino please"

The chased eachother through old stone arches, and cobbled walkways. Lovino didn't know where he was going to run to, but that was the last thing on his mind. He had to lose his brother.

It was the harbor that provided an out for him. Lovino skidded to a stop on the wooden boardwalk, terrorized as he noticed even his covered feet began to smoke the wood. What was he planning to do? Jump in? Swim away?

Feliciano was closing in fast, and so was Antonio. Damn them both.

Lovino put a cautious step on the surface of the water. To his surprise, it sizzled and began to steam. It was then that a crazy idea came to him.

He wrestled off his shoes and jumped into the icy harbor. Every water droplet that touched his bare skin touched simply evaporated. Lovino took off in a run the second his feet touched the ground, and by the time Feliciano had reached the burning dock, he was long gone.

[=]

Feliciano wept at the bank of the harbor, if you could even call it a harbor anymore. There was no water. "I didn't know!" He wailed to Antonio, who was about as confused and distraught as him. But he could keep a small smile etched on his lips.

"Feli- er, Feliciano, we'll find him. We just have to go the long way-"

"But what happens when he comes back? He must think I'm a terrible brother and I AM"

Antonio refrained that it might be the least of their concerns, as he peered out into the barren lakebed. The air was sweltering too. It was just about to snow just seconds ago, and now… "Come on" Antonio said, pulling Feliciano to his feet. "Let's go back to the castle.

The castle was in a state of panic. The guest from the ball had all swarmed into the courtyard, demanding an explanation. They had tried to put the flames out of both the ballroom and the square, but with harbor empty, there wasn't enough water. People were sitting around, hoping it would out itself out.

Antonio flagged down the closest citizen and requested that they try and smother the flames lest the entire castle caught fire.

Next to him, Feliciano was muttering to himself and shaking his head. "I need to go out and find him… I can't lose anyone else… I can't be alone…"

"Okay" Antonio put his hands on Feliciano's shoulders. "Take a deep breath. Exhale" Feliciano followed suit and Antonio smiled. "Okay, now what's up?"

"I'm going to go out and find Lovino"

Antonio blinked. Well that was a surprise. "Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"Yes! I bet if I talked to him, he'd come back! And he'll reverse… well, whatever exactly he did" Feliciano looked earnest, but for as long as Antonio knew him (less than a day), that was common.

Feliciano wiggled his way out of Antonio's hold and flagged down a passing guard. "Fetch my horse, please."

Before Antonio could discourage this, a familiar hand caught his arm. "Antonie, what on earth is going on?"

"Francis!" Antonio shot him a smile, but his best friend wasn't buying it.

Francis narrowed his eyes. "Just a few minutes ago it was colder than ice, and now it's hot and my hair is _frizzing_! And there are fires burning everywhere and-"

"Um yeah," Antonio cut in. "That was the king. But I think the prince is going to fix it?"

"What?" Francis asked, even more confused than he was at first. He turned to see Feliciano preparing to depart. "Feli, what is the meaning of this?"

"Lovino ran away" He whispered, trying to climb onto his horse. Antonio hoisted him up. He raised his voice to grab the attention of the entire courtyard. "I'm going to find the king. And while I'm gone, I leave Antonio Fernato Cardio in charge"

Feliciano whipped the reins on his horse, and then he was gone.

Francis blinked as he watched the prince's retreating back, and then leaned over to where Antonio stood with a dumbstruck expression. "Way to go, Antonio _Fernato Cardio_." He said. "I hope you know how to run a kingdom"

[=]

The island the Vargas' kingdom resided on was as close to a tropical island as it could get. Year round greenery peppered the land, and the sea would always be a clear blue. The vibrant flora was attributed to the rich volcanic soil that came from the very volcano that raised the island, and now lay dormant.

It was that very same volcano that Lovino found himself struggling up.

What on earth was he thinking, running away? What- was he going to start a new life here on this volcano, alone amongst the hardened lava and the dried ashes?

If that's what it took, Lovino decided. He wasn't going back.

The air was sweltering, and for once in his life, Lovino felt hot. He reached up to swipe at the beads of sweat that began to form, but he paused when he felt that soft fabric of his glove. He was still wearing one. Anger surged within him and he hastily tugged it off. No longer was there a need for them.

"Take that, old man" Lovino whispered as he tosses the glove aside. Maybe Romulus was watching from Heaven, still looking disapprovingly down on his eldest son.

His fingertips began to emit tiny sparks without anything to stop them. Lovino started off small, letting tiny wisps of smoke curl from his fingers. But then he began to get braver.

Fire conquered in his palm. He didn't extinguish it this time, but instead sent it spiraling into the sky, and watched at it exploded in the darkness. Like fireworks, he thought giddily.

Now for something bigger. Lovino darted forward, running up the mountain that, just seconds earlier, was strenuous to climb. His feet began to warm the surface of the ground as he ran. If he had stopped to look, he would have seen that plants began to spring in step behind him. But Lovino wasn't looking. He was concentrated on what he was about to do.

Lovino vaulted over a towering rock, and landed in the volcano's crater.

The mouth of the volcano had long since been covered with hardened lava, and the deep chambers were hidden from view. But Lovino could sense that deep, deep within the ground there were magma chambers that were still very active. And he intended to make use of them.

Something told him that, hey, awakening a volcano is probably a terrible idea. But it was hard to think logically when the need to know if he _could_ , consumed him.

He put his hands on the black surface of the ground and beckoned the magma toward him.

The wait plagued him with doubts, but Lovino held steady. Something was heeding his wishes, and the volcano had begun to groan and protest. A deep roar began and didn't stop.

Suddenly, cracks webbed at his feet and Lovino scuttled back. Now for the tricky part.

He didn't want to the lava flow to surge past his control and begin an unstoppable decent down the mountain. He just wanted enough to handle and craft. So as the hardened mold exploded and rained fire from the skies, Lovino put all of his efforts into controlling the effects.

" _Obey me_ " He thought.

For a terrifying second, nothing changed, but then the volcano bent to his will. The magma surged around him in a fiery blaze. The heat was intense, but it didn't bother Lovino. He let himself be consumed

Overtaken, Lovino threw out his arms and commanded the lava follow his lead. And it did. When he opened his eyes, he had subconsciously formed the magma around him into a replica of his old home.

The result was impressive. Huge, obsidian pillars were what became of the magma when it cooled. The volcanic glass glowed in the firelight and no room in the palace was left unlit. But Lovino didn't stop there. The itchy sleeves of his ballroom outfit had to go, and Lovino let them burn off.

It had an interesting effect on his clothes, and soon Lovino wasn't wearing his dark blue king's attire. Instead, it burned away to reveal a red, sleeveless vest, with yellow buttons and sinfully tight pants. He grinned when he noticed he was now wearing tall heeled boots that laced up to his knees. Finally, some height

Lovino began to strut to the large doors that glowed red in the light. It was finally sunrise, he noted. A genuine smile wormed its way on his face and Lovino removed the crown that sat atop his head. "I'm never going back" He announced, tossing it into the void. "The past is in the past"

The obsidian doors slammed shut, and Lovino was finally free.


	6. Of Cabins and Carts

**Well this was longer than anticipated.**

 **I hope y'all like Feliciano and Ludwig! You'll see a lot of them these next couple of chapters. (Has anyone listened to the Hamilton musical? I am like in this strange limbo between musicals... writing Frozen and listening to a founding father)**

 **Thank you so much for your encouraging reviews! Y'all really keep me going ^.^ Without further ado, Enjoy!**

* * *

Feliciano wiped the sweat that trickled down his forehead away. Why was it so hot? This was just criminal.

He tried to not blame himself for the tragedy that had just taken place. "If he had just _told me"_ Feliciano whined at his horse. "We wouldn't be in this mess! It's not like I would have been mean to him or anything."

The horse didn't reply, which was good because there was only so much Feliciano could take in a day. "Why did it have to be fire? Why not something nice, like summer? But no, it's just heat and fire" Feliciano made a face. He was going to become a puddle of melted Italian if he didn't get somewhere cool and _soon_.

As if to mock him, suddenly the ground fractured beneath his feet. Lava bubbled to the surface and the horse reared, throwing Feliciano to the ground. Before he could so much as cry out, the horse was gone and the lava had receded.

Oh this was great. Stuck in the middle of nowhere without a horse. _Fantastic_

"Come back!" He found himself calling. The horse didn't listen, of course. That would have been too easy.

Feliciano picked himself off the ground and started walking forward. There was dirt on his clothes and his face, and it stuck because he was so sweaty. Ugh. This was all Lovino's fault, Feliciano was sure of it. He probably made the path difficult on purpose.

He tried to clean off his long jacket. It was so hot in that thing. As he crossed the long fissure in the ground however, suddenly his jacket wasn't just hot. It was on fire.

"Ah!" Feliciano screamed, trying to beat out the flames. There must have been a magma flare or something because now his sleeves were burning. He wiggled out of the clothes, but the flames were everywhere.

By the time he had gotten off everything, there was nothing left salvable but his underwear.

"Oh great" Feliciano whispered, looking down on himself. This rescue mission was going from bad to worse. At least it was a lot cooler than boiling alive in heavy clothes. Feliciano started out again, intent on finding a place to change. The only good news was that it wasn't stifling hot anymore. It was just unbearable as the sun scorched his skin and gave him sunburn.

Just when it seemed completely hopeless, a cold blast of air greeted him. Feliciano looked up excited.

There was a little cabin surrounded by slowly melting ice.

Someone had clearly seen the heatwave coming and prepared accordingly. It was an instant breath of crisp air as Feliciano stumbled into the clearing. He looked up to see a sign hanging above the cabin. "Nordic Winter and Summer Emporium… oh, and sauna!"

There was a little bell that rung as Feliciano stepped inside. "Hello? Anyone here?"

Someone grunted next to him, and Feliciano wheeled around to see a man sitting down at the counter, his hair combed back and small, square glasses over his eyes. He had a very stern face.

"Winter clothes half off" he said in a deep voice.

Feliciano approached the counter cautiously. The man certainly looked scary...

"Hi!" He started nervously. "I don't suppose anyone else came through here? Angry, Italian, kinda short...?"

He got a blank look in response.

Feliciano gave a strained laugh. "I guess not. Uh, do you sell summer clothes?"

The man gestured toward the shelving. There were surfboards stacked on top of each other, flipflops in all sizes, and enough sunscreen to fill a swimming pool. Surely there were shorts somewhere.

Feliciano gave a little wave of thanks before disappearing in the shelving. Sunglasses... Hats... Sundresses? No, too impractical to climb a mountain with. He settled on a pair of shorts and a loose tie up shirt.

As he looked for something else to wear, he heard the bell ring again. Somewhere else had entered the store.

"Do you have rope?" The new customer asked roughly. There was shuffling of heavy clothes as he leaned toward the counter. "Any kinda food here?"

Feliciano peeked out of the aisle. It was a man wearing thick, heavy clothes, with slicked back blond hair. He certainly looked strong, but he was wearing so many layers it was hard to tell.

The salesman handed the newcomer a sack of potatoes. "All we got" he said.

He looked down dismayed. "This is it? How much?"

"400"

Feliciano took this as his chance to approach the counter. The customer had to do a double take when he saw him.

"I'm sorry, but where are your clothes?"

Feliciano shrugged his naked shoulders. "It's hot. Why do you have so many layers?"

"It was cold not too long ago. But ever since the southern volcano started to become active, it's been blistering" he said through narrowed eyes. He turned back to the salesman, clearly disturbed. "Anyway, surely you can bring the price down?"

"All we have for sale. No water for the fields, no seeds planted in the winter. 400"

"Wait, the southern volcano? Did it seem…? I don't know, magical to you?" Feliciano asked. The southern volcano… that sounded like the place Lovino would go! If he knew where to find him, it would be super easy for Feliciano to go get him back!

No one answered him however. "Who's this 'we'?" The blond man asked, edging Feliciano aside to get closer to the counter.

"m' wife an' kid" The man gestured to the far wall. Feliciano turned around and was faced with an ice closet, hanging open and occupied by two half melted boys.

A young man was laid out in the ice, panting. "Su-San... Need more ice... Going to melt..."

Next to him was a child in a sailor's hat. "papa, need more… ice… dying…"

Without a word, the salesman got up to dump another bag of ice in the ice closet. The cheers of relief from his little family were immediate. Feliciano almost felt bad for them, they were clearly from somewhere far north. This sudden heatwave was probably hitting them harder than anyone.

Meanwhile, the blond man next to Feliciano was muttering over the sack of potatoes. "I guess I could stew them… or bake them? Plus I could always eat them raw." He nodded, seeming to make up his mind. But before Feliciano could ask about the mountain again, he cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I'll take the potatoes. For 200"

'Su-san' turned around. "400"

"200" The customer pressed. He pulled himself up as tall as he could, which Feliciano noticed was just short of towering over him. "Or I'll have to get my brother in here?"

Clearly that was the wrong move. The salesman's mouth became a straight line and he too, pull himself to his full height. Both Feliciano and the customer had to look up as a dark shadow fell over them.

Feliciano had been right with his first assumption. The man _was_ scary.

" 're you tring to threaten me?" He asked in a sad tone. He sounded more hurt than angry.

"um… no?" But it was too late. The blond was already being dragged out of the store by his stiff collar, and forced into the heat as the door slammed close.

Feliciano watched the proceeding with wide eyes. There went his chance at getting to the southern volcano. Unless…

" 'm sorry 'bout that" the clerk said, before sitting down again. "Just the clothes then?"

"Actually..." Feliciano said with a wistful look at the sack of potatoes.

[=]

Ludwig trudged back to his cart, dejected.

"Any luck?" Gilbert asked, leaning on the cart wheel. He had grown up since they were little, but shooting straight up like a string bean instead of filling out with tough muscle like his little brother had done.

Ludwig shook his head. "Nien. I ugh, kinda got myself kicked out-"

He was cut off by an obnoxious laugh as Gilbert doubled over in a fit of laughter. "I know!" he gasped out. "I saw, oh my god how embarrassing!"

Ludwig felt his face go sour. "Thanks for the support. Now if you're done _cackling_ , I found ourselves a place to sleep for the night."

He gestured to the abandoned shed that held some small shelter from the heat that was pounding into them like waves. It was becoming too much in his heavy suit and Ludwig had to catch himself as a dizzy spell hit him. His vision dotted for the briefest of seconds.

"Yo, you okay?" Gilbert asked. He hopped off the cart to make sure he didn't pass out completely.

"Yeah I'm fine" Ludwig said with a wave of his hand.

Gilbert shrugged. "Probably shouldn't have so many layers. Heatstroke is a huge bitch"

Ludwig paid him no mind, and started to unload the essentials from the cart. He found himself looking dejected down at their food bin. All that was left was a few crumbs.

"It's mine turn to go scavenging I guess" Gilbert said. "I'm sure it'll be a breeze since _so_ many things grow without water"

He was right, the island had practically become a waste land overnight. Ludwig gave his brother a supportive slap on the back, the closest he would get to wishing him good luck. When Gilbert had disappeared into the surrounding woods, Ludwig grabbed the two bed mats and tried to set up the inside of the little shed.

He tried to settle into their new little adobe. It was one of the many temporary places he had been living all his life. Ludwig had been traveling with his brother for years now. Ever since they were little, it had always been just the two of them. That didn't change when they were adopted; Gilbert was still always there to watch out for him. And now they were traveling across the island together, eager to secure a good job for Ludwig.

Or at least, they were supposed to be. The winter was the best time to travel, with the heat at a minimum. But ever since the heatwave blew in, they had been forced to travel at night. At this rate they'll never make it anywhere.

Maybe if he just relax, he could come up with a plan.

 _Bang_

The door the shed blew in, and Ludwig's eyes snapped open. What on earth..?

Standing in the door frame was none other than the crown prince himself. Soft autumn hair, with baby doe eyes that crinkled when he smiled. Ludwig was struck dumb.

"Uh, ciao!" The boy said, standing at his full height… which honestly wasn't that tall. "I heard you have information on the Southern Volcano. And I would like you to take me there."

The offer was so off the wall that Ludwig had to take a minute to process it. "What? No! That's preposterous. Do you have any idea how far out of my way it would be to take you there?"

The boy remained firm. "Please, I need a guide. I think my brother might be there and I need to find him so that he can stop this drought"

"Stop the drought?" Ludwig questioned. Suddenly he was interested. If there was water, there would be food. With food came a chance for work. And if he were to get a job, he and his brother could finally stop traveling from place to place restlessly. "Fine, alright. But we leave at night"

Feliciano shifted. "Um… no we have to leave now. I don't know what could happen to Lovino if I wait any longer"

Ludwig raised an eyebrow. So the king was missing? "I don't know if you noticed, but it's blazing hot out there in the afternoon, and my brother's out scrounging for food right now"

A bag of carrots hit him in the eye. "What the hell?" Ludwig exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. "That hurt-"

"I'm sorry!" Feliciano wailed. "I was aiming next to you!" He faltered, suddenly remembering he was supposed to be intimidating. "I mean, here. For compensation"

"Just the carrots?" Ludwig asked, massaging his bruised eye.

Feliciano moved away from the doorway to show a burlap sack of potatoes that he had clearly tried to carry from the cabin, but had lacked the strength and given up. "And the potatoes"

Ludwig narrowed his eyes. "We'll leave shortly"

When Gilbert stumbled back into the clearly, a meager supply of roots and berries in his hand, he was surprised to see Ludwig packing the cart.

"Yo, what's the deal? Did you get kicked out again?"

Ludwig rolled his eyes as his brother laughed at his own joke. He thought himself to be the pinnacle of humor, but Ludwig just didn't see it. "Actually," he said. "We've been commissioned to escort the crowned prince to find his brother."

Gilbert looked past his brother to see Feliciano, struggling to climb onto the wagon. The brothers exchanged looks before Gilbert shrugged. "Any money is good money. And hey- you even got us some food!"

The pathetic arrangement of berries went flying back the way he came as Gilbert dashed to the cart. He met Feliciano on the side, looking worse for the wear.

"Hello!" Feliciano greeted, with one leg haphazardly up on the cart and the other struggling to push off the ground. His hair fell in his eyes as he tried to scramble up the side, and when he spoke, he addressed the large wagon wheel which blocked his vision. "I am Prince Feliciano, and I am so very thankful for your assistance!"

"Uh, need any help?" Gilbert asked, reaching for him.

"No, I am very capable!" Feliciano laughed. He stopped laughing to heave himself a little further, before giving up with strained arms. He slid down the face of the cart.

Ludwig peered over his head. "Okay, that's it. Get up here" With a strong grip at his collar, Ludwig pulled Feliciano up and over. "We have to get moving"

Gilbert climbed into the cart next, squishing Feliciano and Ludwig together, and off they went.

[=]

Ludwig led them slowly and meticulously down the country side. The pace was incredibly slow and controlled, and Feliciano itched the take the reins. There was no _time_ to be a Sunday driver! Who knew what Lovino was doing at this very moment? There were no houses this far out. Where was he staying? Was he eating? Feliciano chewed his lip in worry.

There was also the little matter of the drought, which really brought the scenery value down as they passed the ocean that now lead to miles and miles of exposed sad. There was no telling how far out the ocean had receded.

The one good thing about the pace was that it allowed for conversation.

"So" Gilbert started, stretching his long legs. "Why exactly are we driving so far out of our way for a cutie like you?"

Feliciano laughed as Ludwig made a face. Light compliments was not Gilbert's style, unless he considered something cute. It was embarrassing.

"I'm actually looking for my brother, Lovino"

Ludwig took over the conversation then. "I don't suppose you're going to tell us what made him go all fire crazy by any chance?"

"Uh" Feliciano had to stop and wonder why exactly Lovino had run away. He knew, on some level it had been his fault. "It was kinda all on me. I got mad at him because he refused to bless the marriage between me and this guy I met, you know that _day_. So I got mad and he got mad and then there was some yelling and he ran off... But not before he started to set everything on fire, which was _totally_ uncalled for-

"Hold on," Ludwig interjected. "You were going to marry someone you met that day?"

Feliciano felt himself prickle. Why was everyone so against true love? "Yes that was exactly what I was planning to do! Antonio is very sweet and kind, and I think we know each other pretty well"

"What's his full name?"

"Antonio Ferndao Catero," Feliciano said with the roll of his eyes. "Surely you've heard of him. He's a _nobleman_ "

The name struck a chord with Gilbert and he sat up. "Whoa, you mean Antonio _Fernandez Carriedo_? Like brown hair, green eyes, all around clueless guy?"

"That's Antonio!"

"Whoa dude" Gilbert said with a laugh. "I know him! I worked at this king's castle in France one time, and Antonio helped at the stables with me. We had the craziest times with the Prince. It was awesome if I do say so myself"

Feliciano felt confusion bubble up inside him. "But, he's a nobleman? Why else would he be at a royal ball? We don't invite stable hands!"

"Nah he's dirt poor." Gilbert laughed. "Francis probably invited him; he loves to have Antonio hanging around. With his influence though, I'm not even surprised Antonio proposed first date."

Ludwig observed Feliciano's shocked face, and took that as enough evidence to prove his point. "Now this is why you never marry someone you just met"

Feliciano stiffed at the comment, then crossed his arms with a pout. "Well it doesn't matter who he is or what he does. He loves me, so there!"

Both Gilbert and Ludwig looked like they were about to argue with him, but thought better of it. The sandy path was thinning, and they had bigger problems.

"Why are we stopping?" Feliciano asked, having finally detected the cart slowing down from the snail pace they had been going at. "I don't see any volcano"

"We have to go on foot from this point onward." Ludwig slid out of the driver's seat and onto the ground. He offered a hand to Feliciano, who took it without question

Gilbert started to unload the cart. "Sucks that we gotta leave it here. We built this thing ourselves, and I know it can get us anywhere we want."

"Except through the jungle" Ludwig said, and he was right. There was no way to navigate it between the vines and dense underbrush unless they went on foot.

Feliciano looked troubled. Hiking his way alone in the wilderness was hard enough. But the jungle was a difficult task. He recalled back when his father showed him the map of their little island, pointing out all the parts that made their home. The northern side of the island is where the castle stood. Most trading ports bordered the sandy beaches, but the entire southern side of the kingdom was left uncharted and taken over by angry jungle. "No one dares disrupt nature there, and the goddess of the volcano," His father had warned.

It seemed that today marked the first day Feliciano would disobey his father.

"It's completely safe" Ludwig said, confident in his plan. Somehow with him by his side, Feliciano felt safe.

He took a deep breath and followed his guides.


	7. Moving Right Along

**Back again! This time uploading from a couch in Orlando. Throwback to chapter 4 where I was uploading from the bathroom of a hotel in Orlando. Moving up in the world :')**

 **ANYWAY I hope everyone's happy to read this! Thank you every review, but especially the one who spurred me to update. It turns out, I did find time to update this summer!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

At the same time, Lovino sat in his scalding castle; alone except for the sounds of magma moving deep within the earth. What was he to do without his gloves to fiddle with? He was bored. He wanted his books.

So much for his freedom. For once in his life, he could go out and do anything he wanted with no one to stopping him. But lo and behold, now that he _could,_ he had nothing to do. He sighed. How pathetic. Maybe he could try and sculpt things out of obsidian.

First the eyes. Dark and mysterious, black and cold. Then the hair- darker than the blackest night. Lovino got so wrapped up in his creation that he didn't even notice the passage of time. When he drew his hands away, steaming and dripping molten lava, there was a man staring into nothing.

Now for the cincher. Lovino didn't know if it was even possible, but he wanted to try. Putting his hand on his obsidian creation's chest, Lovino poured fire from his heart. His hands tingled, his fingers burned, but the result was a sudden chill that Lovino had never felt. It lasted for the briefest of seconds before his own fire regenerated himself.

Lovino waited for something to happen. For the man to move, perhaps? But nothing did. He was so stupid for being hopeful.

"This is bullshit," Lovino justified to himself, walking away. "Now there really is nothing to do." He ignored the lonely tinges in his heart. Maybe he could see how deep his volcano went.

What Lovino didn't notice as he walked away, was the obsidian man slowly opening his flickering dark eyes to observe the world for the first time.

[=]

Feliciano had never seen so many mosquitoes in his entire life. It was a like a horrible swarm. Clearly his two men were unequipped to deal with the environment as well, because both were swatting violently at the air, cursing.

"Stupid bugs…that is MY blood, not yours!" Gilbert said with a scowl. He was using his sword to slice mosquitoes instead of cutting through the underbrush, though the majority of his hacking only hit the empty air. "Die! Die!"

Next to his brother, Ludwig was looking worse for the wear. His face was flushed and he was breathing hard. Feliciano opened his mouth to ask, but before he could make a sound, Ludwig collapsed.

"Lud?" Gilbert swore, dropping his sword to the ground and kneeling over his brother. "Yo, Ludwig, wake up. You ok?"

Something akin to words wheeze past Ludwig's lips, but he seemed to have trouble breathing.

"Is he ok?" Feliciano asked frantically. "Ludwig?"

"Go get me some water from my pack" Gilbert ordered. "We need to cool him down"

Half their water supply was enough to bring him too, but it was clear Ludwig was still overheating. Feliciano worried his lip as he watched Gilbert tend to his brother. "It's the suit" Feliciano finally said, "I think it's too hot for this weather"

"Why didn't you say so?" Gilbert demanded, already stripping his jacket off and ignoring the mosquitos that began to swarm him. "Here, help me undress him"

Feliciano hesitated. Undress him? The first thing Ludwig ever said to him was to keep his clothes on! "Um…"

"Come on!"

Feliciano spurred at the yell, stripping Ludwig's sweaty pants off as fast as he could. It was hard, mainly because the sweat made the fabric stick to his legs, but eventually the both of them got Ludwig stripped down to his underwear.

The two knelt apprehensively over him. Feliciano felt his face turn red, but he attributed it to the heat. Nothing to do with the all but naked man lying before him. He fanned his face, trying to pass off his redness as the heat around him.

Ludwig's breathing evened. "Oh thank god" Gilbert said, standing up. "He's alive. I'm going to get more water. There's bound to be a stream around here somewhere. Feliciano, watch him, would ya?" Feliciano could only nod as Gilbert left him standing over Ludwig, fanning the empty air.

The silence of the forest was only broken by Ludwig's steady breathing. Green vines reached down from the trees, reaching out as if to touch them. The jungle was known to be deadly, Feliciano suddenly remembered.

"Ugh… my head head" Ludwig moaned and Feliciano snapped out of his reserve.

"You're alive! I told you your clothes were too hot, silly"

Ludwig struggled to sit up. "In my defense, it was winter not even twenty four hours ago." He seemed to realize however, that he could suddenly feel a cool breeze. "...Where are my clothes?"

Feliciano laughed awkwardly. "Uh, your brother and I took them off. He's getting water and I'm here to protect you!"

"Protect me? From what? Public decency?"

"That, and lions and tigers and bears."

"As if" Ludwig said. "There's nothing of the sort on the island. The real thing we need to worry about is leopards"

Feliciano smiled. "We have a leopard! His name is Seymour. His head hangs above the mantel in the great hall."

The blond laughed, and Feliciano looked up. "These aren't the kind of leopards to be stuffed. I've had to deal with one once. It almost had me if my brother didn't step in. They're deadly and vicious, hiding in trees… awaiting their next victim-"

A scream cut him off. It was loud and piercing, chilling every bone and resounding in the jungle.

It seems, a leopard had heeded his words.

Ludwig dropped his playful tone as the scream set in. "What was that?" Feliciano asked, fear creeping into his voice. "Ludwig-"

"Shhh!" Ludwig snapped. "I need to hear." He looked around, assessing the situation. They had no cover, he had no clothes to protect him. His machete lay unused about three feet away however. If he could just reach out…

Above them, branches rustled and a low growl emanated from the suddenly to the left, as if taunting them with their deaths.

Ludwig inched his hand closer to the machete as quickly as he dared, avoiding the leaves that littered the ground. Behind him, Feliciano clutched his shoulders as if his crumpled form could protect them at all. But as Ludwig's hand wrapped around the hilt of the blade, the bushes spewed leaves as a dull colored creature sprang out.

Feliciano screamed as Ludwig swung madly.

A rabbit blinked up at them both, point of the blade was only inches away from the cuddly bunny that had since frozen in its tracks.

Feliciano sprung out from behind, besotted by the creature. 'Ludwig don't hurt it! It's so cute!"

Ludwig felt his face go red for the hundredth time that day. "A rabbit? What on earth" He frowned softly as the rabbit darted back into the bushes on the right side. "What kind of bunny would make the sound?"

A soft growl answered him. Ludwig slowly lifted his head up as a few leaves fell softly from above. The leopard seemed to smile as it pounced

It was a blur of Feliciano's screaming and the clash of the machete against fur. But no matter how ferociously Ludwig fought, he could do nothing to deter the leopard. Blood dripped onto the jungle floor.

"Get behind me!" Ludwig yelled, and Feliciano all but leapt to comply. Together they backed up, trying to put distance between them and the leopard. But there wasn't enough space. There wasn't enough to stop the creature.

Feliciano closed his eyes. Ludwig brandished his sword. The leopard sprang towards them.

 _Slash_

The sound of metal against flesh rang throughout the jungle. Feliciano opened his eyes dumbly to see the leopard race away in the trees, cradling its new wound.

"Ha, take that you stupid cat!" Feliciano cried, as he stuck his tongue out at the fleeing animal. "Ludwig! You did it! You did it! We're alive!" Feliciano hugged him from behind, burying his face into his back.

"It wasn't me" Ludwig said quietly.

"What? Of course it was! Who else would it be?"

"Him"

Feliciano looked up. Beyond Ludwig, in the low light of the trees stood a man he had never seen before. His dark brown eyes were framed by short black hair. His clothes were delicately embroidered with patterns of flames. He looked as if he had been crafted by hand. And when he spoke, all fell hush. "Hello, my name is Honda Kiku. But you may call me Kiku. I understand you were in a bit of a trouble?"

[=]

Meanwhile, Antonio was walking the castle courtyard, offering water from the buckets he had lifted on his shoulders. Guests had shed as much layers as they could, and Antonio was no exception. His shoulders burned without a shirt to protect him, but he was used to the beating sun.

"There's not enough water to keep handing out freely." Francis said, approaching him. "There was hardly enough to extinguish the fires."

Antonio frowned. "We can't just not offer anything. And what about the horses? They must be thirsty too!"

Francis rolled his eyes. "People first, Antoine. Horses second."

As if to contour his words, the great doors of the courtyard bursted open, and Feliciano's horse skittered into the courtyard.

Antonio dropped the buckets he had been carrying, spilling precious water in his haste. "What's going on? Where's Feliciano?"

"He must have been thrown!" A servant called. "His supplies are still in the bags"

Stablehands attempted to calm the wild horse, but he was having none of it. The steed bucked wildly, standing on its hindlegs. Antonio raced towards them, grabbing the reigns.

"Woah there! Woah!" Slowly, but calmly, he brought the horse under control. "It's alright…" He whispered, stroking it's mane. "Where's your rider, _el_ _caballo_?"

A frantic buck was the only response.

Without thought of his assigned duties, Antonio lifted himself up onto the horse's back. He felt in control on the saddle. "I'm going after the prince." He announced, much to Francis' dismay.

"You can't leave! Now who's in charge?" Francis yelled.

"You can be, Francis. Will anyone join me?"

A few royal guards mounted their own horses. One handed Antonio an extra weapon. "We only have axes on hand." He said, but Antonio accepted it gratefully.

Away from the gathering crowd, Arthur Kirkland frowned. "The prince is gone too now. Alfred, Ivan. Join the search party. And if you see the king… give him my… _regards_."

Alfred smiled. "Sure thing, Artie!" Before pounding the small man on the back. "I'm always in for this kinda thing"

"Do NOT call me Artie!" Arthur yelled. "It's ARTHUR! This is _not_ a hard concept!"

But he was already out of earshot. And just like that, the second search party was off.

* * *

 **El caballo= horse**

 **Next time on Scorched: The axis quartet move along, Lovino meets the man of his dreams -again-, and more! Drama, humor, and more shirtless scenes. Stay tuned!**


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